I'm interested by this from the How we solve the housing crisis, 11th March thread
As it happens, I am fairly sure I know who this John Clark is, although my own feeling for Forum etiquette limits what further information I will give out about him - and of course I might be wrong. But assuming I am right, then I can at least say that he is something of an expert on housing - well, social housing - and that I've had the benefit of learning from him in discussions in at least three different situations - once in a round table discussion at a Sydenham Assembly; another time when I arranged to meet him, when I was chair of SydSoc, explicitly to learn from him more about issues to do with housing; and most recently when I ran into him on a train coming back to Sydenham. Any discussions where he can be got to join in will benefit.maestro wrote:Having made two posts in almost nine years are you likely to join in?john clark wrote: I hope this discussion continues after 11/3.
The fact that he reappears on this thread with a second post in nine years is fascinating, because it implies we have some top quality lurkers. Rather than asking with maestro whether he will join in with us here - naturally I hope he does - I'd be interested to know where else he is joining in discussions locally.
I would guess, from his intervention on this thread, one answer would be within the Sydenham branch of the Labour Party. I'm almost tempted to rejoin (my membership lapsed in 1983), to find out, although I don't suppose it would be too long before I was thrown out for referring on this Forum to discussion I was thereby party to. I might even meet up with the mystery tjc, and as a bonus, I'd might get a real vote in any decision on who becomes our next MP.
Another possible place for on going discussion might be the Sydenham Society, which I have recommended previously, and which ought to have a good understanding about the role of the planning system as it affects housing.. But I'm a bit doubtful.
That leaves this Forum, with its occasional agonising about anonymity, posters going on and on about their particular obsessions (did anyone mention housing?
) , and would-be serious trains of thought interrupted by absurd digressions. Indeed, but I still think it's the best place for discussion.Interestingly, in the latest Forest Hill Society newsletter there's a bit about SE23.com, recommending members to look at it, and suggesting that people can post anonymously or with nicknames. Good stuff.
I also had an email from the person who asked me to publicise this upcoming Labour Party meeting saying:
V good of you to put the poster on the Syd Soc site - much appreciated - and to get the debate started!
Not actually the SydSoc site, I'm afraid, and actually the debate started a while back outside the local Labour Party. Maybe they have been discussing it for a while already - will we ever know?
Meanwhile, I just checked the SydSoc site, and the latest there is something about the housing of immigrants 300 years ago,